The proposed trade that has been nothing but a twinkle in our eye for weeks has finally been announced as a possibility. As I wrote here, Sam Amick has reported that the Sixers and Timberwolves are kicking the tires on a deal that would center around Andre Iguodala and the #2 overall pick. Of all the deals we've heard so far (all of these plus the most recent Iguodala for Lamar Odom and Ron Artest), this one could be the most appealing.
The Sixers have claimed that they're looking for a veteran to take Iguodala's spot on the team. Why? They're scared that if they don't get a big name or two back for him, fans will forget all those warm feelings they felt about the fleeting playoff "run" in May and abandon the team once again for the possibly non-existent 2011-12 season. The Odom/Artest deal may be better than the Monta Ellis and Hedo Turkoglu deals because Odom's contract expires after this season, but not as freeing as the Chris Kaman expiring or the Cavaliers and Timberwolves salary dumps.
Trading Iguodala for the #2 allows the Sixers to go with either Derrick Williams, Enes Kanter, or Jonas Valanciunas to add to the strong core of Jrue Holiday and Evan Turner. Then pick #16 rolls around and either Jordan Hamilton, Klay Thompson or Alec Burks would slide in there to form a pretty solid top 4 that can grow together. If they think Thaddeus Young can be a part of that future, you could be looking at a starting lineup of Jrue/Evan/Hamilton/Thad/Kanter once Elton Brand ships out. If not, they can go for a more traditional power forward in next year's insanely strong draft.
This is a deal we've been tossing around for weeks and now the words "definitely real" have been attached to it. Though Wesley Johnson hasn't yet been mentioned, he's one of a few guys (among Martell Webster, Jonny Flynn, or Anthony Randolph) the Sixers may take back in return. Wes is still the top choice because of how well he fits with Jrue and Evan, but he'd probably require them to send the 16 to Minnesota in return.
I'm just excited that this deal is getting tossed around. I don't hate the Lakers deal and I'm beginning to warm on the Kaman deal compared to others. Still, either the Minnesota or Cleveland deal would be better for the Sixers franchise moving forward. A few meaningless wins are nothing but that. Clearing space and getting younger should be the focus here. This may just be the fluff rumor Jordan predicted, but at least it's a good one.